All I Want
by DarthBubbles
Summary: High School Sophomore Will Daniels is in love with his best friend. And has no clue what to do about it. Put in the sims category because it's realistic fiction. Title inspired by the song "All I Want" by Staind. T for some language, but otherwise appropriate. Better than summary suggests.
1. Chapter 1

"Will, come here!" Jenny called with a laugh.

I folded my arms and faked a pout. "No." She'd zip tied my backpack. Geez, leave class for a few minutes and next thing you know, your best friend's gotten all your stuff stuck to your desk.

She just smiled, straight white teeth gleaming, and cut the zip tie. My backpack fell against the floor with a light thud. "I'm sorry?" she tried.

Grey eyes rolled as I shook my head with a small smile. "You should be," I joked. I wrapped my arms around her waist as she stepped forward and hugged me, just barely standing on her tiptoes to be able to reach her arms all the way around my neck. The sweet scent of her conditioner wafted off her soft brown hair, and I couldn't help but grin. "Okay, I forgive you," I admitted.

She pulled back with a laugh. "Good. Can't have my best friend mad at me, who will I tell all my problems to?"

"Matt," I said, frowning a bit as the name came out of my mouth. Matthew Hartzell was her current boyfriend. Although I guess I had no business in the matter, something just didn't seem right about the guy. She was head over heels for him, and although he seemed decent enough, I just couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to break her heart.

He'd been proving me wrong for eight months, but that still didn't assure anything for me.

"Matt's biased though," she pointed out with a smile.

"How so?" I asked, tilting my head slightly in confusion.

"Well, he loves me," she began, beautiful blue eyes brightening visibly as she spoke the words. "Obviously he's gonna have some pretty narrowed views towards the source of my problems."

"Sure, whatever," I said absentmindedly. If he loved her, he wouldn't do that. He would give her advice like I did. He would attempt to help her _solve_ the problem.

How did I know that?

Because _I _loved her.

* * *

She'd been crying. That much was clear. I knew better than to ask at the moment. Everyone else sitting at our lunch table who had tried recieved a brash avoidance of the question and a withering glare. I looked across the cafeteria to another table, where Matthew sat, laughing with friends, ignoring his girlfriend completely. I frowned. It was little things like that that heightened my dislike of the guy.

She stood suddenly, grabbing her tray and walking it over to the trash can. She threw the remainder of her lunch into the garbage with more force than was necessary, just another of the many hints that she was upset. One of our friends, Haley, turned around in her seat. "Where you going, Jen?"

"Library," she replied curtly, shouldering her bag and turning without another word.

They all looked at me as I stared after her retreating form. "What's up with her?" Taylor asked, tossing long blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Why do you think I know?"

"'Cause you're her best friend, and 'cause you're crazy about her."

I glared at her for a moment. "Is it that obvious?"

"To everyone but her, man," Josh said, clapping me on the back.

"And what does Matthew think about that?"

"He doesn't seem to care. Obviously he knows you're not gonna do anything about it," Haley answered.

"Why don't you?" Christian asked. "You scared or something?"

I frowned at him. "I'm not scared. Maybe it's cause she has a boyfriend. And she loves him. And I want her to be happy."

"Why can't all guys be like you?" Taylor asked, smiling. Josh turned to stare at her incredulously.

"I'm right here!" he said.

Taylor laughed, kissing him gently. "Don't worry, you're perfect."

I shook my head, smiling lightly, before grabbing my backpack.

"Will! Where are you going?" Christian asked.

I just shrugged. "Library."

* * *

The library was empty, as I had expected. No, if Jenny was going to go somewhere to cool off, it'd be somewhere nobody would find her.

Except for me. 'Cause it was _our_ spot.

Checking for security guards, I cautiously approached the ladder leading to the roof of building 3. We'd spent several evenings waiting together for the football games to start up there, just talking about anything that came to mind. There she sat, arms wrapped around her knees, brown hair fluttering in the breeze.

I walked up, hands in the pockets of my jeans, and attempted a smile. "Hey," I whispered.

"Not now, Will," she said, standing up.

I just stepped closer, pulling her into a tight embrace. She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. "What's wrong?" I asked quietly, whispering into her soft hair.

"Matt broke up with me."

"Shh..." I said, attempting to hold back the string of curse words that threatened to flow from my mouth. "It's gonna be okay."

"I love him, Will."

"I know you do," I said, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"And I thought he loved me."

"I know you did."

She pulled out of the hug, wiping her eyes. "Sorry," she said, her voice cracking.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. That's what I'm here for."

"Thanks," she murmured, reaching her hand up to comb it through my short brown hair. I dropped my head down, our foreheads touching. Part of me wanted to pull away, to avoid messing up the fauxhawk I'd worked so hard on. I'll admit it, when it comes to my appearance, I'm a neat freak. And part of me wanted nothing but her fingers in my hair, to feel like she was mine, however brief the moment was.

Guess which part won over.

I just stood there as she played with my hair, staring into her eyes while she was distracted. Blue, with flecks of green, and one of the many traits I loved about her. She was beautiful. Not like some of the girls at our school. She wasn't drop dead gorgeous, but there was something about her that made all the others uninteresting to me. Her hair was usually worn down, cut in the style that most girls wore it. Her fashion was casual, also much like what others wore. But in my eyes, all the other girls just melted into the background. All I saw was Jenny. Yeah, I know it's cheesy. But if you're in love with a girl, you'll know what I'm talking about.

She looked up at me, noticing the look on my face. She arched her eyebrow and smiled in confusion. "What?"

"Nothing," I said, attempting to look away.

"Your hair is soft," she said with a smile.

"It's the conditioner." I smiled.

"And you smell good."

"Cologne."

"I like your shoes, too," she laughed.

"Tilly's." I glanced down at my Vans, shuffling my feet slightly.

"Thanks, Will. I mean it. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you," she whispered.

"Back at you, Jen." Looking into her eyes at the end, I couldn't help but add _"More than you know,"_ in my mind.

Of course the bell would ring and ruin what was probably the closest I would ever get to what I wanted. The shrill tones reached my ears, and Jenny immediately pulled away. I followed her as she descended the ladder, then walked with her to her next class as I always did. Before she walked in, I pulled her into one last hug. "I'll talk to you after school?" she said. "Back at our spot."

"Okay," I said. Anything for her.

Suddenly, someone was behind her, touching her arm. I glanced up, trying to hold back the disgust at what I saw.

Matt.

"We need to talk," he muttered. He glanced at me. "Hey, Will."

"Hey. I was just leaving," I mumbled, knowing when I wasn't wanted. I glanced back as I walked away, glaring at Matt as the two walked into class together.

Suddenly I was wishing I had English III more than ever. The joys of being a year behind the girl I loved.

* * *

Biology wasn't as fun as usual. I was too worried about what Matt was saying, what her reaction would be. I ran my hands through my hair, attempting to fix up the do that she'd messed up, looking at my reflection in a glass beaker. I heard a giggle from across the lab table and glanced up, seeing Kelsey shaking her head and smiling at me. "Relax, Will. You look fine."

"It got screwed up," I muttered. "I need gel."

She glanced at Mr. Thomas and smiled. "I don't think you'll get any of that, but according to Mr. Birdbeak over there, we have plenty of Hydrochloric Acid."

I laughed despite my bad mood, looking at Mr. Thomas's huge nose. Or according to Kelsey, his beak. "I doubt I want to put that in my hair."

"Might change the color," she laughed. "I think you'd look cute with purple hair."

"It doesn't do that, it just reacts with-"

"Chill. I wasn't being serious," she said with a smile.

"Oh," I said, feeling my cheeks redden with embarassment. "Sorry. I'll try not to get technical."

"Don't worry about it," she glanced up at me, brown eyes twinkling. "I'm actually glad you get all this, 'cause I sure don't. Best lab partner ever."

I laughed, sliding the beaker closer to me and pouring in the amount of acid Mr. Thomas had asked us to. "Thanks."

As the lab progressed, Kelsey's happy go-lucky behavior had infected my attitude. I was smiling, laughing, acting as if nothing was wrong.

But I still couldn't shake the feeling that only a few classrooms down, something was happening between Matt and Jenny that I wouldn't like.

* * *

My feet tapped to the beat of the music blaring out of my iPod headphones. I was getting impatient. I'd been sitting on the roof for about an hour, and there was no sign of Jenny. I slid my phone out of my pocket, flipping it open and sending her a questioning text.

Her reply caused my heart to sink.

__

OMG. I'm so sorry! I forgot! I'm hanging out with Matt. We got back together! :) :)

She stood me up for a jerk who walked all over her heart? I knew she was crazy about him, but I also knew she wasn't stupid. The girl needed to guard her heart. I angrily kicked a piece of rubble off the roof, watching it soar over the courtyard and clatter to the ground about seventy yards off. My phone vibrated again, and I glanced down at her second text.

__

Wanna come hang out with us? :) We're over by the football field. :)

I frowned and replied quickly, angrily.

__

No.

One word, curt texts were not my style. And she of all people knew that best. My phone vibrated again.

__

What's wrong? :(

Nothing.

I am such a liar. A few minutes passed before she texted me again.

__

I'll see you at the game tonight, right?

I sighed. I couldn't refuse. I needed to at least be with her, even if I couldn't be _with_ her. Even though I'd have to deal with Matt and his constant kisses, touches, sweet nothings, and what not.

__

I'm going, if that's what you're asking. If I can find you, I'll sit by you.

Her reply was almost immediate.

__

I'll look for you. You're sitting with me! :)

At least she was happy. I sighed, flipping my phone closed and shoving it back in my pocket. I climbed down the ladder and began to walk home for the few hours before the game started. I hated having to walk, but sophomores weren't allowed to park in the school lot. Only upperclassmen could, and even though Jenny could drive me, I didn't feel like walking up to her and dealing with her love for Matt at the moment to ask her.

"Will!" someone called to me from across the courtyard. I turned toward the voice, pasting on a smile for Kelsey. Knowing her, she would easily turn my fake grin into a real one, and probably pull a few laughs out of me as well.

"Hey," I said, wrapping my arms around her waist briefly to hug her. She smelled good. So did Jenny, but while she smelled mostly clean and fresh, Kelsey also smelled fruity. I smiled.

"Why are you still here?" she asked.

"Oh... I stayed to hang out with a friend," I said slowly. Half truths were my specialty. "You?"

"Swim practice," she replied. "But it was cancelled. I missed my bus because of it, though."

"How far away do you live?" I asked.

"Not too far," she replied. She frowned. "You're a sophomore. You can't offer rides home any more than I could drive home myself."

"Well, yeah, but I live a couple blocks down, I could go get my car and drive you home. Provided you don't mind walking with me?"

"Not really, so- Wait, you can drive already? How old are you?"

I frowned. "I've been sixteen for two months, I got my license as soon as I could."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, brown eyes widening. "Really? I thought you were younger. I'm only fifteen, and I don't turn sixteen for a while still."

I laughed. "So do you want a ride?"

She blinked a few times, as if to refocus. "Right. Sorry. Yes, that would be- Hey, I have a better idea!"

I arched my eyebrow in a silent indication that I was listening and interested.

"Well, considering you're a super genius, we go to your house, you help me with the biology homework, we go to the game together, and _then_ you take me home." She grinned at me, nodding to persuade me.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure. I was supposed to sit with some friends at the game, though. I don't wanna stand them up." Well, I was fine with standing Matt up. But I could never do that to Jenny. I didn't care if she did it to me. Matt had poisoned her mind with his influence. She would never hurt me purposely.

Kelsey laughed. "Well, I wasn't planning on sitting with you either unless you wanted to sit with me and my friends. I'll just find you after."

I shrugged. "Alright. Let's get going so we actually have time for bio." I started to walk in the direction of my home, motioning for her to follow.

She was fun to talk to. She just chattered on about random nonsense that helped me take my mind off of Jenny, while making it so that I only had to talk every once in a while. The conversation was actually three parts Kelsey, one part me. I preferred it that way.

As soon as we got to my house and she looked out the back door, I knew that we weren't going to be doing any biology. "You have a pool!" she asked excitedly, glancing back at me with a look that asked a silent question.

"My hair's gonna get screwed up," I protested weakly.

"You can fix it before we leave. Come on, _please_?" She looked up at me with pleading brown eyes.

I sighed. "Do you have a swimsuit?"

She produced one from her backpack quickly. "Right here."

One of my eyebrows arched involuntarily in confusion. "You just... randomly carry a bikini around?"

"No, I went swimming at Mariah's last week and left it there, so she washed it and gave it back to me at school yesterday. I just never got around to taking it out of my backpack." Kelsey grinned at me. "Please?"

With a roll of my eyes, I gave in. "Let me get my trunks on."

I plodded up to my room, wondering how she had convinced me. I pulled my swim trunks off, not bothering to remove my shirt. I could take that off outside. Maybe I would only have to put my feet in.

She was already in the water when I got outside. "Feels great!" she called. "Jump in!"

I knew I wasn't going to get my way. Reluctantly, I peeled off my shirt and started down the pool steps slowly, letting my body adjust to the temperature of the water.

"Wimp," she muttered. She swam over to me, coming to stand next to me on the third step. "It's easier if you just jump in."

I turned to face her and shook my head. "No, then I'm freezing all over. It's the middle of November, why am I even in the pool?"

"'Cause it's fun!" she giggled. I noticed her eyes flick down to my body and I suddenly wished my shirt was still on. Slightly embarassed, I crossed my arms to attempt to cover up my chest.

She laughed, pulling my arms down. "Relax. You actually have a _really_ nice body," she laughed.

"I do?"

"Yeah. Not to be wierd or anything, but I had no idea all that was under there. You're actually pretty hot." Surprise surfaced in her tone.

My cheeks flushed. _"Note to self: Invite Jenny over to swim_._"_ I attempted to deflect the awkward situation with humor. "You sound so shocked."

"Pleasantly so," she replied with a laugh. "I don't really have that great of an, um, _view_ in biology."

I chuckled. "Well, dress code-" was all I got out before I found myself falling, feeling her arms shove me forward. I fell into the water face first, coming up sputtering. "What the hell?"

She laughed. "I knew I'd get you in the water eventually. Don't get so easily distracted."


	2. Chapter 2

_You here yet?_

Jenny's fifth text made me wonder if something had happened with Matt. She seemed really eager for me to get there. I replied at a stop light.

_Two more turns. Chill._

_You're usually early._

_I was swimming_

_You never swim._

_Kelsey made me._

_Who?_

The light turned green, and I quickly flipped my phone closed as the car behind me honked for me to move. Kelsey laughed. "Pay attention to the road, hot rod."

"I could dump you on the side of the road if you don't like the way I drive," I joked.

"No thanks."

I pulled into the school lot, which luckily was open to driving underclassmen for sports events. Parking in the closest space I could find, I shut the car off and checked my hair in the rear view mirror. I'd washed and redone it after our swim, but the gel held it in place nicely. I rubbed at the more solid parts of gelled hair, softening them and making it seem more natural.

"Hurry up, pretty boy."

Reluctantly, I stepped out of the car and away from my reflection, shutting my door and locking it.

"Don't give me that pathetic look," Kelsey laughed at my pouting face. "You'll live.

We walked towards the entrance, paying to get in and splitting up with a quick hug at the stairs of the bleachers. Jenny appeared out of nowhere, towing Matt behind her with her fingers tightly intwined with his. A grin appeared on her face as she saw me, and she threw both arms around my neck. My arms slithered around her waist as I hugged back tightly, inhaling her fresh, non-fruity scent. "Hey," I said.

I glanced up at Matt and nodded slightly. "Matt," was the only courtesy I could grant him. Even though they were back together, he had still hurt her. It was going to be a while before I was friendly with him again.

"Hey, Will," he said. He turned to Jenny. "I'm going to go grab something to eat. You want anything?"

"Hot dog?" she asked with a smile.

"Will do. Wait, no, then I can't afford my chips. Will you share a burger with me?"

"Uh.. sure," was her reply.

I would have ditched the chips for her hot dog. I clenched my fists to prevent myself from showing anger visibly.

"We're gonna go sit down," she continued, touching my forearm. My skin tingled at her touch as I followed her up the bleachers. I sat next to her, trying to hold back the feelings that I felt every time I was near her. Prevented myself from holding her hand. Prevented myself from putting my arm aroudn her waist and pulling her close. Prevented myself from combing my fingers through her soft brown hair. Prevented myself from turning her face toward mine and pressing my lips to hers.

"I'm sorry for ditching you today," she said. "Really. You have no idea how bad I feel about it."

"It's okay," I said.

She turned to face me, all seriousness. "No, it's not. You're my best friend. You're the only person who's never backed out on me, and here I am, treating you like all you do is nothing. I just forgot... and I... I'm really sorry Will. I know it hurt you. I'm not that oblivious."

"_But you're oblivious enough to not realize how much I love you," _I thought bitterly, before I noticed that her eyes were wet. She really was upset about this. "Hey," I whispered, wiping away a stray tear. "It's okay. I know you'd never hurt me on purpose."

She nodded. "Never. I would never do that, Will." She was quiet for a while. "So who is this Kelsey? You never answered my text."

"My biology lab partner," I said with a shrug.

"She's obviously more than just a lab partner if she's swimming at your house," Jenny stonewalled.

"Well, she's a friend. We aren't more than that. We were planning on doing biology homework, and we ended up swimming instead."

"You never swim with me, no matter how many swim parties I invite you to."

"I go to those, I just don't swim."

"So you won't swim with your best friend but you'll swim with a lab partner?"

"That's not it, Jenny. Please don't take it that way. She's just really convincing."

"How so?"

"Well, her eyes turn into huge adorable brown..." my voice trailed off as I searched for a word, but I came up empty, continuing with , "... things. It's like saying no to a puppy. You just can't do it."

"Sounds like you might be more than just friends."

I prayed she was right.

"What? No! Hell no!" I said, utterly surprised. _"It's you," _I screamed in my mind, wishing I could say it aloud_. "You're more than a friend! Not Kelsey!"_

"Calm down, Will. That's just what it sounds like."

"That's not it. Trust me. I wouldn't lie to you."

At that moment, Matt squeezed in between us, locking lips with Jenny as he sat. I rolled my eyes and focused on the game. Aside from a few cheesy conversation starter-type discussions, Jenny and I didn't talk further.

* * *

It had been a month since the two had gotten back together. A month where my heart had taken several beatings that were unknown to the girl who was causing them.

With my help, Kelsey was now passing biology, and she and I hung out more often. But even she could never keep my mind off of Jenny for too long.

I was just glad that soccer season had finally started. Sports were how I vented. They were my "fix," and I happened to be in the same exact sports as Jenny anyways. After soccer season, where we would share bus rides to away matches and attend each others' games, we'd have track together, which was already a co-ed sport. The best part? No Matt.

I put all the power I could muster into my kick, letting the ball soar through the air and into the goal. My shots were precise and powerful, my passes dead on, my tricks better than ever. My game was always better when I was angry.

Matt had broken her heart again, and then stepped back in as if nothing had happened. Again, she let him walk all over her.

I breathed deeply, recieving a cross in the air from my midfielder and headed it into the goal. Pre-game drills were calming, but today even they couldn't calm me down. During the five minute break before coach's pep talk, I walked to the bench, putting my head in my hands. My teammates probably figured I was getting focused.

Then, she was there, clad in the black and blue uniform that was nearly identical to mine, also prepared for her game that would immediately follow mine. Her captain's patch was displayed proudly on her right arm. She'd told me that being voted captain was one of the biggest honors she'd recieved. I was damn proud of her as well.

"You're mad," she said.

I nodded.

"Look, you probably don't want to talk about it, and even then we don't have the time. But try not to think about it too much. You have a team depending on you, and I know you can do it. If you can't do it for them, do it for me." She offered a smile, which I returned with an attempted half smile. It may have turned out a grimace, but she understood that it had helped me. I hoped. "Then get up and win this, number ten." This time, I couldn't help but smile. My freshman year, before I'd even become very close friends with her, we realized we had picked the same number. Dressed in the same exact jerseys in math class the day of our first game, and sitting next to each other, our teacher had insisted on jokingly mixing us up. The number was now one of many inside jokes of ours.

Jason, our captain, turned to the team. "Our jerseys are too similar to theirs, guys. Solid blue and mostly blue. We need to switch to black jerseys."

I pulled my away jersey over my head along with the rest of the team. As I searched through my bag for my home jersey, I heard her whisper, "Holy crap, Will." I didn't think she meant to say it out loud, but I glanced up and smiled in confusion.

"What?"

"You're..." I noticed her eyes flicking from my face to my chest to my abs and back. She was trying to make it seem like it was nothing, but she had the same interest as Kelsey had that one day. "I didn't know you were so..." her voice trailed off.

"So what?" I asked cautiously, almost reluctant to pull my shirt on if that was the kind of attention I would recieve. It was one of the moments where I felt like maybe I might have a chance with her.

"So beautiful," she whispered. "I'm sorry. If that was wierd... Let's just forget about this."

I nodded, acting as if what she had just said hadn't torn me apart again. Of course it wouldn't work; she had a boyfriend. "Daniels! Hurry up!" my coach yelled. "Miss Roberts, you're going to have to return to the bleachers."

"Of course," Jenny said. She gave me a quick hug. "Good luck." Then, suddenly, I felt her lips barely brush against my cheek for a fleeting second. Slightly light headed, I arched an eyebrow at her in confusion. "It's for luck," she said quietly, eyes downcast, before she turned and jogged back up the bleachers.

I ran out to my place in the center of the field. For once, I was glad I was a striker.

I was in a goal scoring mood.

* * *

Of course, the effect didn't last. Matt was still a roadblock for me. After he had yet again treated her heart like trash, I told her. I was mad. And now that soccer was over, I didn't have anything to take my stress out on. Sure, track helped some, but there was less of a thrill in sprinting a hundred meters than there was in taking all my anger out on a ball.

"Dammit, Jenny! He's not right for you!" I nearly yelled, subconciously hoping that I hadn't given our position on the roof away to the security guards below.

"I know he might have hurt me, but he cares about me. He said it wouldn't happen again."

"That's what he said last time. And the time before that. Yeah, he's real good on his word!"

"You don't understand, Will! You haven't had a girlfriend since freshman year! You don't even know what it's like!"

"What it's like to love someone who doesn't love you back? Yeah, I actually do know a lot about that!"

"Hey! Don't talk about him like that! He says he loves me, and I believe him! That should be enough for you!"

"You are blinded by your feelings for him!" I shouted. "How can you not see that he walks all over you? He dumps you when he feels like it 'cause he knows you'll take him back! You need to let him go, he's an ass, and you deserve more!"

"Like who?" she asked angrily. "You tell me who my perfect guy should be."

"Someone who loves you, someone who will never leave you when the going gets tough. Someone who will put you before them. Someone who will help you when you have problems instead of taking sides automatically. Someone who will stay up till midnight talking to you even if they are dead tired, who will wake up and check their phone for messages from you first thing in the morning. Someone who cares, Jenny! Not Matt!"

The bell rang, and I stormed off, not looking back, not walking her to her class. If she wanted to be with Matt, fine. She had English next anyways.

* * *

"What's wrong?"

I glanced up from the lab table distractedly. "Huh?"

Kelsey glanced at me concernedly. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

She frowned, for once serious. "No."

"I got into an argument with my best friend," I mumbled. "Yelled at her, didn't say sorry. I'm feeling bad now."

"Jenny?" she asked. I nodded in reply. "I'm sorry. But... I wanted to ask you something."

I gave her that look that she could always interpret. The one that told her I was listening.

"Do you want to.. um... go out... with me?"

"Huh?"

"I really like you. You're cute, funny, and sweet. I thought maybe I might try a relationship with you?"

I remembered Jenny's words. "_You haven't had a girlfriend since freshman year!_" I sighed to myself. I needed to let her go. Obviously, we weren't meant to be anything more than best friends. Considering she was so reluctant to break up with Matt... I decided to give it a try.

"Sure, I guess," I said. "I'm free on Friday."

* * *

"I'm sorry about earlier," Jenny said quietly as I joined her on the roof.

"It's okay. You were upset and I didn't do much to help that," I replied.

"Well, the good news is that I took your advice. You were right."

"Took my advice?" I asked, eyebrow arching.

"Yeah. I broke up with Matt. You were right about him."

My heart sank. And I'd just committed to a relationship with someone else. Bad timing had never struck so harshly. "Oh..." was all I could manage. "Good."

"Yeah, so I've got a lot more free time now," she smiled and put an arm around my shoulder. "What are you doing on Friday? Wanna hang out?"

I sighed. I couldn't hide it from her. "I wish I could, but I already have plans. I'm... um... going on a date."

"With who?" she asked. I frowned slightly at the sound of dejection in her voice. She wanted to hang out that bad?

"Um.. you're gonna say 'I told you so,' but I'm dating Kelsey."

"The biology Kelsey?" she asked incredulously. I winced and nodded. "Well... about time you had a girlfriend. And she's in your grade, so you don't have to worry about having nobody to go to prom with, 'cause you're not allowed."

"But our whole group's gonna be there, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Well all the juniors. And Taylor, since she's going with Josh. I'm going. Even though I don't have a boyfriend anymore."

"You have enough money for your ticket?"

"Yeah. And I already bought my dress." She pulled out her phone and showed me a picture. There she stood, absolutely stunning, in a bright blue full length dress. I couldn't help but smile.

"You look great."

"Thanks," she said, though she didn't sound too enthusiastic. "I have to go to work," she said, standing reluctantly. "Wanna ride home?"

"That would be great."

The ride to my house was silent. I hugged her goodbye, then turned toward the door. "Bye."

"Bye, Will," she replied. "Have fun with Kelsey." The door closed and she drove off.

"I can't," I whispered.

* * *

I walked Kelsey up to her front door, her hand in mine. The night had been fun. We'd goofed off at the mall before catching a movie. Luckily enough for me, it wasn't a chick flick. Of course, I was thinking of Jenny during most of the showing anyways.

"I had fun tonight," Kelsey said with a smile, looking up at me with those brown eyes.

"Me too," I said. It was the truth. Though I didn't mention that half the time I had thought of her as if she was Jenny just to get through the night.

Before I knew it, she was on her tiptoes, and her lips were on mine. And in my surprise, I saw Jenny, not Kelsey. And I kissed back, closing my eyes and tilting my head to get a better angle. We continued the kiss until only the need to breathe caused us to pull apart, and that was when I slipped up.

"God, Jenny," I breathed. My eyes popped wide open with horror as I realized what I had just said. And Kelsey had caught it. "Kelsey..." I started, at a loss for words. How do you cover something like that up? "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She just smiled sadly. "You really do love her, don't you?" she asked. "It's okay. Go to her before you lose her again. I'm fine with being friends."

That was too generous of her. I pressed my lips to hers briefly before pulling her into a tight embrace. "Thank you, Kelsey. For everything." I kissed her forehead before pulling away and getting back into my car.

My phone was out in an instant, dialing the number of one of the few people I could trust with a secret. She answered with a cheery, "Hey, Will!"

"Hey, Haley. Think you can do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Have you seen Jenny's prom dress?"

"Yeah, it's absolutely adorable!" she gushed, then paused. "Um... why are _you_ asking?"

"Think you can help me coordinate my tux and tie? And maybe get me into prom? I'm a little young unless I have a date." I asked, smiling a little. "And not tell Jenny?"

She was laughing. "You seriously should see how big I'm smiling right now, Will. Finally! Yes, and yes. I'll take you to prom, but you better give me at least one dance before you go off with Jenny, okay?"

"Anything," I said with a grin. "Thank you so much, Haley."

"No, thank you. You're the perfect guy for her, and you two deserve each other."

"What if she doesn't want this, though?"

"Trust me, she wants it. She just can't put all the pieces together yet."


	3. Chapter 3

I grinned and rolled my eyes as Haley and Taylor pulled me through the mall, amused by their enthusiasm. We regularly consulted the picture of Jenny in her dress, and each time I tried on a new outfit, they would hold up their phones up to either side of me and squeal, "You guys are such a cute couple!"

As I stepped out of the dressing room for what seemed like the hundredth time, they both shook their heads. I frowned and looked at my reflection. It didn't look that bad. Sure, the tux wasn't really me, but I figured that not very many dressy things would be. "What?" I asked.

"The tuxedos aren't working for you," Haley said plainly.

"We need to find something that will pull off your typical style, but with a more...snappy look," Taylor explained.

"Snappy?" Haley asked. "Honey, it's the twenty-first century." The girls erupted into giggles.

I cocked my head in confusion, looking at them as if each had suddenly grown a third eye. Which made them laugh even more. Finally, they regained their composure just enough to be able to talk in an understandable tone. "A tie is a must," Taylor said.

"Solid color," Haley put in.

"That same deep blue as her dress," Taylor continued. Both girls quieted down for a while, then looked at each other, smiling. "Thinking what I am?" Taylor asked with a grin.

"Dress shirt?"

The blonde nodded as the dark skinned girl caught on. "With a dressy vest?"

"Blue tie, black dress pants?" Haley continued.

They both looked down at my feet, at my black and white canvas era Vans. I grinned. "I get to wear these?"

"Gotta keep your character in there somewhere, and skinny jeans are a no no at prom. Those will work," Taylor answered

A few minutes later, I stepped out of the dressing room, Vans, black slacks, white dress shirt, black vest, and deep blue tie in place. The girls squealed, high fiving each other. "Now that's a job well done," Haley said. "Boy you look fine."

Taylor stood. "Now we just need to fix a few things." Her hands lightly touched the collar of the dress shirt, undoing the first two buttons. "Don't make it too stuffy. You're not some snobby rich kid."

"Open up the vest, too. That's more like him," Haley advised. Taylor complied, and I shrugged, trusting her expertise. She also reached up to my tie, loosening it considerably.

"Trust me," was all she said to that, and she smiled.

Haley stood up. "One more thing," and her hands were in my hair. I jerked back involuntarily.

"Oh, no," I said, shaking my head violently. "Not the 'hawk."

"You want Jenny to be the envy of every girl at prom?" she asked.

"Not really..." I said, arching my eyebrow.

She just grinned. "Yes you do. Now quit whining." And she ran her fingers straight through my fauxhawk. I nearly shrieked, leaping away from her and looking at my reflection in the mirror. Surprisingly, I didn't look that bad. The outfit totally suited my style, and the Vans surprisingly didn't look at all trashy compared to the rest. They seemed as if they were made for prom.

And my hair... never looked better. It was still in the general shape of the fauxhawk, but it had a rugged look to it. Messy, yet the work of a perfectionist as well. I allowed myself a surprised smile.

Haley laughed. "I told you."

I turned to smile at the two. "Nice work, ladies. Thanks."

* * *

"You better give her the best night of her life," Haley said as I parked the car in the lot of the Hyatt hotel. She shot me a smile. "'Cause it'll be easy to tell you're not with me anyways."

I frowned. "What do you mean? I'm walking in with you."

She shook her head with a laugh. "The entire junior class and most of the senior class knows I would never be with someone who doesn't even coordinate with my dress." I glanced at her bright green dress.

"Right..." I said, chuckling a bit.

"Come on, we're late," she said, stepping out of my car. "It's already started."

I locked the doors and followed suit, shoving my keys in my pocket. "Fashionably late," I joked.

After handing the doorman my ticket, I headed into the crowd, searching for her. Haley followed. "She'll be standing with the people from our group. Just look for Christian or Josh or Taylor."

I nodded absentmindedly, noticing the change in the song. Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. A slow song. I needed to find her now. Luckily, as couples began to dance, the room opened up more. Haley pointed her out to me, on the opposite side of the room, standing alone against the wall, looking terribly lonely. I glanced at the dark-skinned girl with an embarassed smile.

"Just go!" she laughed, pushing me forward lightly. "I promise you this will work."

I nodded, and started making my way toward the girl I loved. Butterflies assaulted my stomach, my heart began to thump wildly against my chest, and I started to feel lightheaded. Still I pressed forward, my feet steadily moving, the only calm part about me. Her eyes were cast downward still. She never looked up until I was directly in front of her, until she saw my Vans, completely ordinary aside from the little smiley face she'd drawn on the toe one day when she was bored. Her head snapped up, gorgeous blue eyes widening. She'd been crying, but all thoughts of depression dissipated, replaced with shock, I assumed. I just smiled weakly. "Hey."

Then, she was hugging me, her face buried in the crook of my neck. I started for a moment, surprised at the sudden action, before embracing her in return, combing my fingers through her soft brown hair. "What are you doing here, Will?"

I laughed nervously and shot her a little half smile. "Asking you to dance?"

Jenny smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck, resting her head on my chest as we began to move to the music. A bit more confident, now, I pulled her closer, closing my eyes, wholly happy for once. We were together, at least for the rest of the song.

I don't know why I started singing along. I don't know why I didn't stop. I must've seemed like an idiot. But I sang The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus's lyrics with such conviction I didn't care. I loved her. I was singing to her. And I put my heart and soul into my voice.

"I will never let you fall, I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all, even if saving you sends me to heaven. Cause you're my, you're my, my, my true love, my whole heart. Please don't throw that away. Cause I'm here for you. Please don't walk away, please tell me you'll stay."

She pulled back as the song ended, her eyes wet again. "You... um... you have a really good voice," she said, wiping a tear away before it could roll down her cheek.

My eyebrows rose in mild surprise. "American Idol status?"

She laughed. "Maybe top 24, not good enough to win it, honestly. Sorry."

"Eh, I'd rather play soccer than sing for a living anyway," I said with a chuckle.

"How did you get in here?" she asked.

"I came with Haley," I admitted.

Jenny glanced past me at Haley, chatting it up with a group of cheerleaders. "Your outfits don't even match."

"She picked it out," I said with a grin.

I laughed as the girl I loved looked from my outfit to Haley's. "No she didn't."

"Yeah, she did. We were just coordinating with this dress instead." I pulled out my phone and brought up the picture of Jenny, showing it to her.

Her eyes widened with realization. "You... I... Why didn't you just ask me?"

"Surprises are fun." I grinned.

"What about Kelsey?"

"It didn't work out."

"Oh. I'm sorry," she said, putting a hand behind my neck. "What happened."

"I screwed it up when we kissed, of all things."

"You... you kissed her?" she asked.

"Well, she kissed me. And then we realized I had a thing for someone else when I accidentally called her by the wrong name after."

Jenny closed her eyes and shook her head with a smile. "Only you, Will. Only you could mess up like that." She laughed a bit, before becoming more serious. "So who do you like now? Is she here tonight?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, what are you doing talking to me?" she asked. "Go find her."

It was now or never. I took a deep breath and put a hand on her cheek, wiping away the wetness in her eyes. "I already have."

Shock showed on her face. "Me...? Will... I..." she struggled for words. My heart clenched.

"You don't have to love me back. I know love hasn't treated you well recently. I'll wait. You... As long as we can still be normal friends still."

She shook her head. "No! I mean... It's a little too much right now. So soon after Matt... But... I'm interested. I think I have been for a long time."

I wanted to kiss her. My entire being wanted me to pull her close and lock my lips with her. But I couldn't. Not if that wasn't what she wanted.

"What are you doing with my girlfriend?" a voice boomed from behind me. Both our heads shot up, staring at Matt in confusion.

"Matt, I'm not your girlfriend anymore," she said shakily, grasping my hand. She squeezed it lightly. Her way of telling me to stay. She needed me to keep her strong.

"Yes you are," Matt argued. "You didn't know what you were talking about. You were upset. I'll change. I love you."

"I don't believe that anymore," she replied, the tears returning.

"Who are you to say that I'm not telling the truth!" Matt asked angrily, grabbing her by the arm. I instantly shoved his hand away from her.

"And who are you to go around breaking her heart like it's nothing!" I retorted.

"Stay outta this, Will," he growled. "This has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me!" I nearly yelled. "For too long I've sat by while you destroyed her bit by bit! I won't let you mess with her again."

"You're a good buddy to her, Will. But don't think you have a chance with her. I know what she looks for in guys. Why do you think she never pursued a relationship with you? Because you're nothing that she wants."

I refused to listen to him. "I'll let her speak for herself. But I also doubt she wanted a disloyal boyfriend, so I don't think you're what she wants either."

"Will, you have five seconds to shut up," he growled. "One.."

"Or what? Last time I checked the United States allowed free speech," I said as he counted past two, three and four. I was asking for it.

"Five," he finished. "You done?"

"Nope. I'm just getting started," I said with a cocky grin. What can I say? Love makes a guy really stupid sometimes. Matt was a football player, a wrestler. He was big, he could take me on any time and win easily. I'm honest enough to admit that. Soccer players and track runners are small and quick. The only thing I had on him was speed. It was the modern version of David and Goliath.

But David won in the end, didn't he?

Matt's fist swung in from the left, and I ducked under it Matrix-style. He made a grab for me, and I rolled to the side, apologizing for the toes I stepped on. He was still coming after me. I could hear Jenny screaming for him to stop. We were causing quite a scene. I stopped short, knowing I couldn't look like a total coward in front of the whole school. I'd throw in a quick punch, then dart away again. Matt took another swing at me, which I sidestepped and immediately ducked his second attack. As fast as I could, I sent my right fist straight at his nose. I felt a satisfying crack as it connected, and as much as I wanted to enjoy the moment, I knew that he'd have me if I lingered. I quickly turned and sprinted for the doors. Looking behind me, I saw Matt stumbling through the crowd, blood dripping from his nose, anger emanating. I slowly inched away, trying to stay in the shadows. It was then that I saw Jenny making her way to the door, tears rolling freely down her face. She'd been embarassed, ashamed in front of nearly the entire upper class.

And it was my fault.

It probably wasn't that big of a deal to the upperclassmen. It really wasn't Jenny's fault, and I doubt they knew the fight was about her. No, if anyone was going to recieve the attention, it was me and Matt. I looked around at the thought of the burly boy, hoping he had given up. I caught sight of him searching for me, but so far, he hadn't found me yet. He was holding a piece of cloth up to his nose, no doubt attempting to stop the bleeding. I couldn't help but feel giddy about the fact that I'd broken his nose.

Silently, I slipped out the doors and into the lobby, looking around for Jenny. Rain pattered lightly against the windows, and it calmed my frayed nerves. I couldn't see her, so I turned to the doorman. "You see a girl, blue dress, brown hair, gorgeous in every way possible?" I asked casually.

He nodded toward the door leading outside. So... she was in the rain. Why?

I caught a sight of blue, moving outside the window. I decided I had no time to ponder, I needed to act. I sprinted for the door, running straight into the rain. I could feel it mixing with the gel in my hair, my fauxhawk falling apart as I ran. I paid it no mind. "Jenny!" I called. No answer. I tried her full name. "Jennifer Roberts!"

"William Daniels," she said. I whirled around, catching sight of her completely soaked, as I likely was.

"I'm sorry for what happened in there," I said, smiling weakly.

"That was all Matt. I don't blame you one bit." She smiled and gave me a lingering hug. "Thanks for standing up for me."

I shrugged. "It was nothing." In fact, I had been waiting to say that stuff to Matt for a long time.

"No. It was everything. I realized a lot back there."

"Like what?"

"Like what Matt said about what I want in a guy. I want someone sweet, someone who makes me feel good enough, someone who will stand by my side no matter what. Someone who's easy to fall in love with because he's such a good guy. Someone who will put aside personal matters for me to be happy."

"Honestly, Jenny, there aren't a lot of guys out there like that," I admitted. "Most of them are jerks."

"I've found the diamond in the rough then," she said with a smile, running her fingers through my ruined hair. "And your hair looks great when it's screwed up." It was like she'd read my mind.

"Diamond in the... what?"

"I've found the one guy who is everything I want and more," she said with a smile.

I was still confused, and I arched an eyebrow to show it. "Huh?"

She laughed at my inability to understand. "How can you not get this? Dammit, Will! I love you!" With that, she stood on her tiptoes and rammed her lips against mine.

Finally. Everything I'd ever wanted in one moment. I slid my arms around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing back with everything I had. I tilted my head one way, she the other, attempting to keep this feeling of closeness alive. The rain ran down our faces, between our melded lips, down our bodies, but I didn't mind. In fact, the feeling was amazing. Finally, we had to allow our deprived lungs some air, and I dropped my forehead down to hers, breathing heavily.

"I've always wanted to be kissed in the rain," she said with a slight laugh.

"You don't know how long I've waited for that," I whispered.

She chuckled. "I'm glad you decided to wait. If you'd stayed with Kelsey, I-"

"Jenny, I've waited long enough." I said with a laugh. "Shut up." And to make sure she did, I lowered my lips to hers again.

She laughed softly. "I can't believe I'd been looking for the perfect guy for so long only to realize he'd been with me the whole time."

I couldn't tell if those were tears or raindrops rolling down her cheeks, but it didn't matter to me. I was finally with the most beautiful, amazing girl I could hope for. And as I kissed her again, I couldn't help but thank God for letting one of his angels go. For giving me all I could ever want:

Jenny.


End file.
